In various medical fields, including dentistry, it is necessary to mix a plurality of ingredients to form a product which is usable for various purposes. Especially in dentistry, it is common and necessary, for example, for mercury and silver powder to be mixed to form amalgum. Also, mixing of powders of various kinds which form cements and similar products is common in dentistry, to name only a few of the general type of products consumed in medical and quasi-medical techniques and practice.
One convenient means for forming mixtures of various ingredients and desired products comprises the use of capsules which usually comprise two members or more and these are provided with compartments in which the several ingredients respectively are contained until mixing of the same is desired. Then for convenience, the members or other elements of the capsule are moved suitably to cause exposure of the ingredients with each other suitably to effect mixing thereof either with or without the assistance of a pestle. The capsule is agitated in one of a number common machines a desired amount to effect mixing of the ingredients to a desired extent to form a composite product. There are a number of prior patents, both domestic and foreign, which illustrate attempts to solve the problem of initially maintaining all of the ingredients in separated relationship but the means by which they are brought into contact to effectively mix the same in machines is different. By way of example, the following patents illustrate structures of the type referred to: U.S. Pat. No. 1,774,258, English, Aug. 26, 1930; U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,369, Bowes et al, Nov. 10, 1964; U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,914, Bloom et al, Oct. 3, 1967; U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,469, Magni, Sept. 7, 1971; U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,775, Zaltsman, Jan. 30, 1979.
Present in this art also are illustrations of attempts to maintain ingredients separated but, after mixing the same, the composite product can be dispensed by the capsules being capable of having discharge means attached thereto to facilitate the delivery of the mixed ingredients to desired locations. Certain examples of this type of devices are shown in the following foreign patent publications of several types: German Patent Application No. 1,566,222, Feb. 24, 1972; German Patent Application No. 1,813,233, July 10, 1969; German Pat. No. 1,939,316, Jan. 25, 1973; German Pat. No. 2,009,403, Aug. 31, 1972; Published German Application No. 2,400,970, Mar. 20, 1975.
One area in which certain problems are solved by the present invention that have not been solved by the prior art comprises providing a capsule in which initially several compartments are formed respectively to contain separated ingredients, then effect contacting of the ingredients by operation of certain elements of the capsule, followed by the attachment of a dispensing nozzle to one end of the capsule and also provide means in the opposite end of capsule by which the mixture can be discharged forcibly through the attached nozzle head. The present invention is directed to such a combination which has been found to be a practical solution to this previously unsolved problem.